Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
Given the expense in obtaining and maintain MFPs, devices are frequently shared or monitored by users or technicians via a data network. MFPs, while moveable, are generally maintained in a fixed location. Until more recent times, users, which may include individuals or groups such as employees, technicians or administrators of networked MFPs, were also generally in relatively fixed locations. A user would typically communicate documents or other information from his or her office or workstation to a designated MFP. An administrator or technician would also monitor MFPs from a workstation.
Users may send document processing jobs, such as a print request, to one or more networked devices. In a typical shared device setting, one or more workstations are connected via a network. When a user wants to print a document, an electronic copy of that document is sent to a document processing device via the network. The user may select a particular device when several are available. The user then walks to the selected device and picks up their job or waits for the printed document to be output. If multiple users send their requests to the same device, the jobs are queued and outputted sequentially.
User devices have become increasingly mobile. Often times users interact with MFPs via portable notebook computers, or via handheld devices such as tablet computers, smartphones, or the like. While many portable devices may still be used at a workplace, a user may do so from various workplace locations. A user may select a particular MFP for processing their job in certain situations. In others, a user's job may be routed to an MFP assigned to that user, one that is the closest to the user's location or workstation, one with capabilities needed for the user's job or one that is fully functional for desired document processing.
Often times workplaces have multiple MFPs which may comprise different models or may even come from different manufacturers.